Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yobrighton’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yobrighton’, characterized by its uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal; early flowering habit; large daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yobrighton’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yobrighton’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in April, 1999 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4450, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-6496, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in March, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit; desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in June, 2000. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yobrighton has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yobrighton’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yobrighton’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.     -   5. Can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal.     -   6. Early flowering, eight week response time.     -   7. Large daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   8. Yellow-colored ray florets.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant height.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,227. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more outwardly spreading         than and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four         days later than plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yobrighton’ grown as spray-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yobrighton’ grown as spray-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the spring in Salinas, Calif., in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of these plants, the following conditions were measured: day temperatures, 21° C. to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17° C. to 19° C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photodinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yobrighton. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4550,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-6496,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum that             can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal. Upright             with lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading;             uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely branching growth             habit; about three to four lateral branches develop after             removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.         -   Plant height.—About 36 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 42 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 7.4 cm. Width: About 5.5 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to convergent.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker             green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: Close to 147A. Venation, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A. Petiole             length: About 2.3 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Petiole color, lower surface:             146A to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescences slightly fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering             habit; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night             conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night             conditions flower about eight weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to four weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray-type, about             seven per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             7.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 146A to 147A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—Large, about 7.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—About 1.75 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 7.5 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 7 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.8 cm. Width: About 1 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong.             Apex: Acute, mamillate or emarginate. Base: Fused into a             corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Orientation: Initially upright             to eventually about 70° from vertical. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 28 arranged in about two             whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 5A. Fully opened, upper surface: More yellow than 5A.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 5A to 6A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Length: About 7 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter,             base: About 2 mm. Shape: Tubular; elongated. Apex:             Five-pointed. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 190. Color: Immature: Close to 144A. Mature, apex:             Close to 6A to 9A. Mature, mid-section: Close to 145C.             Mature, base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 25 arranged in             about two to three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About             4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Waxy, smooth.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: 146A to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 8.5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle:             About 10.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Color:             Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4.5 mm. Style             color: Close to 144C. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial greenhouse conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yobrighton’, as illustrated and described. 